Tsuba with decoration of nails

Tsuba with decoration of nails is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The circular sword guard, a so-called "tsuba", belongs to the "maru gata" type.

It features a wide, domed, and offset rim. On it sit round nails embedded in bronze. "Tsuba" are Japanese sword guards made of iron, copper, or copper alloys that sit between the hilt and the blade of a sword. In the center of the guard is an opening for the tang of the sword. Two further openings are intended for a utility knife ("kozuka") and a hair-arranging/sword needle ("kôgai"). Tsuba protected the hand from the opponent's sword and from the danger of slipping onto one's own blade when thrusting.

In Japan, tsuba were status symbols. They embodied the aesthetic principles and social standing of the owner. Literature: Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, Ellwangen 2011; WeltKultur / Global Culture. Führer durch die kulturgeschichtliche Abteilung, ed. by Badisches… The collection record gives measurements Höhe: 8.85 cm, Breite: 8.85 cm, Tiefe: 0.8 cm. Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.